Monday Bank Holiday 1st May 2000 – New job, new life
I’ve had no time to write, trying to get used to the new routine… The last 5 weeks have gone by so quickly and it feels like I’ve lived this life for a lot longer. I started work on the 27th of March. On my 3rd week there I was sent (along with 3 other guys from work) to a C++ course with Sun Microsystems. At first I was taking the train to work but hated it so much that now I drive nearly every day. I have to leave here early (7:30) to avoid the traffic, so it takes 40 minutes. The drive home is not so pleasant and it usually takes me an hour, as I can’t avoid the rush hour, unless I work late. I have to go on the motorway for about 5 minutes, and because the car is so old it vibrates like mad and it’s quite scary, but I enjoy driving so much that I put up with the fear!
You’ve going to the childminders for 3 days a week and everything has been fine, they really like you (how could they not?). But last week, before the Easter holiday you got very ill and we spent the holiday worrying about you and looking after you. You had a vicious throat infection – prior to that you had a runny nose for about 4 weeks. Your breath smelt rotten… It all started on the Wednesday before the Good Friday, when R. had to pick you up from the childminder. She said you were crying which you never did before and pointing at your ears. R. took you to the doctor and he gave you antibiotics. He also had an essay to hand in the next day and as usual he left things for the last minute. So he could not do any work on Wednesday, as he had to be with you.
When I got home from work you didn’t look too good. Later you had a coughing fit and next thing I know you vomited all over yourself. There was so much catarrh in your vomit it was unbelievable. We had to ring the doctor who told us not to give you anything to eat/drink: just water. I went to sleep with you while R. stayed up all night writing his essay. You were burning with fever and insisted on sleeping with your arms around my neck, cuddling up to me. You were so hot that I felt uncomfortable, but I couldn’t move or else you’d start screaming. I didn’t get much sleep that night either. The next day I went to work and R. and your gran looked after you. You were ok during the day, just feverish and coughing a bit and sleeping a lot. At night you woke up coughing like mad and it took me ages to calm you down, it was really distressing… That happened again for the next two nights! What a nightmare. By Sunday night you started sleeping a bit better and by the time I went back to work on Tuesday you had slept through the night without a coughing fit. You finished your medicine by Thursday and now your breath smells sweet again!
I’m really enjoying work, although so far I’ve done no real work, just exercises set to us by Barry (the Development boss) to get us back into programming and learning the system. Next week we are supposed to start working on maintenance (debugging)… I’ve had a great time so far doing things I enjoy, it’s been such a change! I also got my first pay cheque on Friday and it was fat!
Unfortunately I will still be short of money at the end of the month because I got in debt last month and the childminders cost a fortune! The situation should improve after the next paycheque. It was very easy to get into the new routine and it felt natural, so I guess it is meant to be. Hopefully they will want to keep me there after the 3 months trial is over. I can’t write for too long though, the days of having time are over and I’ve always got something to do…